The Air Creation Racer is a French single-seat, weight-shift control

ultralight trike An ultralight trike is a type of powered hang glider where flight control is by weight-shift. These aircraft have a fabric flex-wing from which is suspended a tricycle fuselage pod driven by a pusher propeller. The pod accommodates either a so ...

that was built by Air Creation of

Aubenas Aubenas (; oc, Aubenàs) is a commune in the southern part of the Ardèche department in Southern France. It is the seat of several government offices. The mountainous and rugged countryside is popular for vacation homes. The river Ardèche flo ...

between 1986 and 2010. It was available in kit form for amateur construction or as a completed aircraft.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page C-2. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 91. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485XDowney, Julia: ''2000 Trike and 'Chute Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 2, February 2000, page 44. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', pages 102-103. BAI Communications.

Design and development

The Racer was developed as a lightweight trike that can qualify for the US

FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries. In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not requ ...

category, including its maximum empty weight requirement, when equipped with a light wing and engine. The carriage is of

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

construction and incorporates suspension on all three wheels. The nosewheel-mounted

drum brake A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...

is foot-pedal actuated. The nosewheel is also steerable and features a mudguard. The carriage features baggage stowage pockets and optionally a cockpit fairing and

wheel pants An aircraft fairing is a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, Third Edition'', page 206. Aviation Supplies & Academics Inc, Newcastle Washington, 1997. ...

. The carriage can be equipped with several different wings. When fitted with the Air Creation Fun 14 40% double surface wing, the aircraft version is called the ''Fun Racer''. The ''Fun'' wing is covered in Trilam sailcloth and allows a maximum speed of and a service ceiling of The Racer's acceptable power range is and the

Rotax 447 The Rotax 447 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. Design and development ...

Rotax 503 The Rotax 503 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catlog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. As of 2011 the Ro ...

and the

Rotax 582 The Rotax 582 is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating ...

engines are used. By 2011 the Rotax 447 and 503 were out of production and Air Creation offered a version of the Racer without an included engine so that the owner could locate a used 447, 503 or other suitable powerplant. The estimated assembly time from the supplied kit is 40 hours.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 200. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X Reviewer Andre Cliche said of the Racer, "Quick and agile, the Fun Racer shows all the refinement expected from European trikes...This is a well engineered trike and company support is excellent."

Variants

;Fun Racer :Racer carriage equipped with the ''Fun 14'' wing. This wing provides docile handling and ease of rigging. Standard empty weight of when equipped with the

engine. ;XP Racer :Racer carriage equipped with the ''XP11'' racing wing, giving a cruise speed. Standard empty weight of when equipped with the

engine.

Specifications (Fun Racer)

References

External links

* {{Air Creation aircraft 1980s French ultralight aircraft Ultralight trikes Racer

Design and development

Variants

Specifications (Fun Racer)

See also

References

External links